1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a grill device, more particularly to a grill device provided with an adjustable seasoning supplying unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,624, there is disclosed a grill device that includes an upper grill unit pivoted to a lower grill unit so as to rotate about an axis between an open position and a closed position, in which the upper and lower grill units cooperatively define a cooking space therebetween. A seasoning supplying unit includes a vessel mounted in the cooking space to receive a body of seasonings in liquid form, and a thermal conductive dispenser. The thermal conductive dispenser is extendible into the vessel when the upper grill unit is positioned at the closed position, and defines a plurality of channels. Each of the channels has an inlet that is immersed in seasonings in the vessel, and an outlet that is exposed from the vessel when the upper grill unit is positioned at the closed position.
Although the aforesaid grill device permits the supply of seasonings when cooking foodstuff without the need to pivot the upper grill unit to the open position, the rate of dispensing of the seasonings cannot be adjusted to meet actual cooking requirements.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a grill device that can overcome the aforesaid drawback associated with the prior art.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a grill device that comprises a base unit, a seasoning retaining vessel, and a seasoning supply unit.
The base unit includes a housing, a cooking member mounted in the housing, a heating element operatively coupled to the cooking member for supplying heat to the cooking member, and at least one supply tube connected to the cooking member and extending downwardly relative to the cooking member. The cooking member is made of a heat conductive material, and has a top side that defines a cooking space, and a bottom side opposite to the top side. The supply tube defines a channel that is in fluid communication with the cooking space.
The seasoning retaining vessel has a tube immersing portion and a container mounting portion in fluid communication with the tube immersing portion. The tube immersing portion is disposed under the cooking member such that the supply tube extends into the tube immersing portion.
The seasoning supplying unit includes a container member adapted for storing a body of seasoning in liquid form, and a flow control member connected to the container member and mounted adjustably on the vessel in the container mounting portion.
In the preferred embodiment, the base unit includes at least two of the supply tubes that extend downwardly at different lengths into the tube immersing portion of the seasoning retaining vessel. The flow control member controls flow of the seasoning in the container member into the vessel in accordance with level of the seasoning in the vessel such that the number of the supply tubes immersed in the seasoning in the tube immersing portion of the vessel depends on the level of the seasoning in the vessel and determines a rate of vaporizing and dispensing of the seasoning to the cooking space through the supply tubes.